House leaders on Tuesday rejected claims that coup rumors against Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri emanated from the Lower Chamber, saying lawmakers should not be dragged into the political drama of the Upper Chamber.
This was as 13 members of the Senate majority bloc signed a manifesto of support for Zubiri, who said he was emboldened by his colleagues’ continued trust in his leadership.
Senator Imee Marcos, who claimed the pressure to change the Senate leadership came from the House, has yet to sign the manifesto, along with fellow majority bloc members Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Francis Escudero, Robin Padilla and Cynthia Villar.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros from the minority bloc and independent senators Alan Cayetano and Pia Cayetano also have yet to sign the statement of support for Zubiri.
“We have heard about [Sen. Marcos’ claims], but we can’t interfere [in the affairs of the Senate]. It’s like in a household, it’s their house, why should we interfere? The one who claimed that the rumors came from the House – I don’t know where the person got that,” House Deputy Majority Leader for Communications and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said.
“Besides, they should be the ones talking among themselves. Do not involve us here because we don’t care if they change leadership. They can do anything they want and we don’t care about that. Let them take care of their lives – they are grown up, they are also old,” he added.
House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo Bongalon of Ako Bicol party-list added: “There was a senator who said that we are just congressmen, that we are just party-list representatives. So, I guess with that… maybe we don’t have the ability to interfere in the internal matters of the Senate.”
“So despite this political drama, my only appeal is to just focus on the legislative agenda. I hope that the Senate will handle its internal matters appropriately,” Bongalon said.
House Assistant Majority Leader Mikaela Angela Suansing of Nueva Ecija expressed hope that the “internal dynamics in the Senate does not derail the current hearings…on the proposed amendments to the economic provisions of our Constitution.”
“Apart from that, I really hope they keep moving on the local bills and the national bills because we have to keep the legislative mill going,” she said.
Tulfo said Marcos’ information might have come from other sources, but definitely not from the House whose members have been busy tackling proposed economic constitutional amendments and other pressing issues.
“It can start anywhere, even from your neighbor. It can be at coffee shops, at the barbershop. If it’s just rumors, it can originate anywhere. But here at the House we are so busy with the work we’re doing right now,” he said.
